The present invention relates to a test system and a test method for testing the operability of electrical test samples. In particular the present invention relates to a test systems and a test method for testing the operability of electrical components of energy supply devices.
For the testing of electrical test samples, in particular of electrical components of energy supply devices, there are known various kinds of test apparatus or test system. Thereby, in general, the known test systems represent merely individual solutions for particular applications and can merely test certain functions of a few kinds of test samples. Thus, for example in the field of energy supply devices, there are known separate test apparatuses for overcurrent relays, synchronization devices, energy meters etc.
However, the construction of the electrical test samples to be tested is becoming increasingly more complex. Thus, for example, the test samples may contain a plurality of protection and measurement functions which must correspondingly be separately tested. Such multi-functional test samples cannot be tested in a simple manner with conventional test systems. Rather, for the testing of the individual functions of the test sample, separate test apparatuses must be provided.
Although it is known to test different functions of a test sample with one and the same test system, these individual functions of the test sample must however be tested separately from one another, whereby it is not possible during the testing of one function to access the test results of the other function. In particular, no overall evaluation of the operability of the test sample can be given taking into consideration the test results with regard to all tested functions. The test report generated by the known test systems, which gives the test results of a test, thus contains only information in each case concerning one function test, i.e. the test report relates in each case only to one partial aspect of the overall test.
The assembly of a complex automatic test or check, which tests or checks all functions of a, for example, multi-functional test sample, is not possible without prior programming by the user. This, however, has the consequence that such a complex automatic test cannot be produced without knowledge of programming.
The present invention is thus based upon the object of proposing a test system and a test method for testing the operability of test samples, whereby the above-mentioned problems are removed.
In particular, there is to be proposed a test system and a test method whereby even a complex test of a test sample is ensured with simple means. Further, an overall evaluation of the overall test should be possible with regard to the operability of the test sample.
The above object is achieved with regard to the test system by means of a test system in accordance with claim 1 and with regard to the test method by means of a method according to claim 26.
The sub-claims describe general advantageous configurations of the invention.
In accordance with the invention, a plurality of different test modules are available, whereby each test module tests a particular test sample with regard to one or more particular functional aspects. The individual test modules can test one and the same test sample or different test samples. The test samples may, in particular, be electrical test samples of an energy supply device. The individual test modules can be selected and combined in a user-specific manner, so that a sequential test specification is provided for the overall test to be carried out by the test system. In particular, the selection of the individual test modules is effected by a menu control via a graphical user interface.
A central test sample parameter memory makes available all data relating to the test sample or test samples to be tested. Further, a central test apparatus parameter memory is provided which makes available all data relating to test apparatuses, which data describes the test apparatuses connected to the test system. By checking the data stored in the test apparatus parameter memory the test system can thus automatically determine whether the test apparatuses available are sufficient for the user-specifically assembled test.
After a user has assembled a particular test sequence in accordance with his wishes, the test is carried out, whereby the individual test modules embedded in this user-specific test sequence are sequentially called up and activated and thus carry out their respective corresponding functional test. The results of the test are stored in a test report.
The test report or the test protocol is, in particular, embedded in the user-specific assemble test sequence or test specification and can be stored together with this test specification. By means of reloading this test specification there can, after deletion of all entered test results, be carried out a renewed test on the basis of an already assembled user-specific test specification. This means that on the one hand earlier test results can later be inspected once again and on the other hand on the basis of archived test results a similar test can be carried out again since together with the earlier test specification or the test report all parameter data necessary for the earlier test is stored.
Advantageously, the test modules selected by the user can be carried out not only in their totality, i.e. in accordance with their predetermined sequence, but can also be individually called up, which is helpful, in particular, for the seeking of an error after the appearance of an error during the overall test.
Individual functions of the test system can be protected by means of user-specific access codes, which as a rule are provided as passwords, so that for individual users only particular functions of the test system are accessible. For particular users there may, for example, be possible only the loading and viewing of a test report, without this user being able to carry out its own test or an alteration of the test report or the test specification. For other users, the possibility of macro-programming in the test system may be blocked.
The test system in accordance with the invention, and the test method in accordance with the invention, have numerous advantages in comparison with the known state of the art. Thus, in a simple manner, a complex overall test for a, for example, multi-functional test object can be assembled user specific, whereby the test sample can be tested in its entirety, i.e. all functional individual aspects can be tested within a test and further can be evaluated. For the purposes of carrying out a test, a test report is automatically produced which at the same time can be employed as a re-usable test specification for subsequent tests or checks. The production of the user-specific test specification is effected advantageously by way of a graphical user interface which is simple to operate. Checks already carried out can be archived so that test results can be followed historically. The automatically generated test report is represented with a special view so that a simple comparison with already carried out checks is possible.